Trenton company playing major role in global distribution of COVID vaccine

TRENTON, Maine (WABI) - To handle the COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer, health care professionals have to wear special, protective gloves. There are only two companies in the United States who make them. One is right here in Eastern Maine, and they’re playing a vital role in getting the vaccine out to the public.

Tempshield has been in business for 40 years and is the originator of Cryogenic PPE, specializing in gloves and aprons. Products like these are now in demand across the globe more than ever before.

“With the Pfizer vaccine, there’s that cold storage, cold chain of events that has to take place as those vials are stored in both dry ice and low temperature freezers,” said Paul Larochelle, COO at Tempshield. “At those ultra-cold temperatures, there’s got to be some kind of contact protection to withstand those cold temperatures.”

The need for cryogenic protective equipment has never been higher, and the folks in Trenton manufacturing that equipment understand how important the work they’re doing is.

“Right here in little old Trenton Maine, we are providing those products virtually in every country around the world,” said Larochelle.

If you’ve seen video of someone handling storage of the vaccine, there’s a good chance they’re wearing gloves made here.

“It’s every day now that someone will come in and say, ‘did you see the news last night?’” said Judith Ferris, the sewing room coordinator. “You know, they get all excited. That’s our gloves. You can tell they’re our gloves. They stand out, and I think it drives them to continue to do as much as they can.”

“We’ve been working six to seven days a week since October and will be for at least the next couple, three, or four months,” added Larochelle.

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